Quintin's Expedition

*** Quintin’s POV *** It was a murky day in November, almost ten years since the great war of Black Moon and Star Fall. The pack is unrecognisable compared to what it was back then. Alpha Gale united both packs, taking over the Star Fall territory and merging it with Black Moon’s. The towns themselves have remained separate, which has been great for the pack members who wanted to migrate between the two or for those wanting a change of scenery. The pack had been at peace now that both tyrant leaders are gone. Alpha Gale has been a wonderful leader. He has come into his own since he took his Father’s place those years ago. His wonderful Luna, Lauressa, has had a hand in his success as well. Ever the lady, she has been an inspiration for many of the unranked wolves looking to make their way in the world. They all know her story; how she came from an Omega family and discovered she was mated to the Alpha heir during the annual unranked testing, along with all the chaos and issues that followed suit. I, myself, have chosen to remain in Black Moon. Sitting in my office in the pack library, I was doing anything I could to distract myself from the numerous reports the Alpha had given me to read. My eyes had fallen on the calendar, and I couldn’t help but recollect on the years gone past. I am in my fifties now and getting old. You wouldn’t know by looking at me; I barely have any grey hairs but wrinkles are starting to appear at the creases of my eyes. I blame them on the Alpha for putting so much extra work on me. Yes, he does have Beta Nik to assist him, but he has been busy recently helping Minister Cain. Considering they are both now in their early thirties, they act like pups. It's infuriating for us who are older but I do also envy them; how I would have loved to live in the world they have now when I was younger. The Alpha also used to have his favourite Omega, Archibald, who he bestowed various pack house tasks on. It is his work I have mostly picked up, as sadly Archibald passed away a year ago. He had just gotten to his ninetieth year, so he was of a ripe age. Many wolves were fond of him and he is dearly missed. Especially at times like these when I am sitting in my office, cooped up for hours on end. After the war, the Alpha and I did become close. He found the information I possessed to be of great use. Still, to this day, I keep my sources hidden. I know it irritates him, but how can my sources trust me if I was to expose them? Luna has always understood this. Whenever the topic comes up, her soft laugh directed at the disgruntled Alpha warms my heart. I am pleased to have seen her grow until the wonderful leader that she is. Enough of the memories now though, I have work to be done. Reluctantly, I turn back to the folders that are piled on my desk. I turn the page of the next, barely able to keep my eyes open at this late hour, when I see an envelope neatly tucked in the bindings. I slide it out and examine the handwriting. It is Lauressa’s. My interest piqued, I fumbled with the fold and read the letter within. “When convenient, please come to the pack house to see me.” Was all it read. Such a simple letter, beautifully written, but why did she not just use the mind link to ask me? Who knows how long these folders have been sitting on my desk. Any new ones I get are piled on top of the old; it is never ending. I glance at the clock, it is a little late, so I decide it would be better to contact the Luna in the morning. She was sleeping a lot at the moment. To the joy, and relief, of the pack, Laurie is now pregnant. She is now at the stage where she is showing, which means in a few months’ time, a new Alpha pup will be roaming the territory. And I know for sure that I will have to oversee the little terror. Not many know though that the pup does not belong to the Alpha. His infertility has been kept very quiet since the war; it isn’t spoken about. Depending on how you perceive it, he is fortunate to have his brother, Beta Nik, who shares his bloodline, and has provided his... Services, shall we say, to provide the Alpha and Luna with a pup of their own. A truly honourable thing. The pregnancy is probably also why Alpha has made so many changes to the education system in the most recent months and why I am tearing my hair out. I know his education was limited being in the pack house, but this is getting extreme. Though, again, I suspect the Luna has played her hand here as well, as it seems history, combat and strategy are now compulsory for all ages. I focus back on the letter and ponder what it could be that Laurie needs to see me for. It could not be anything urgent since she left it tucked in one of the many folders, rather than linking me. I am far too curious to continue with reading, I knew I would not be able to focus on anything that the Alpha has asked me to do. Instead, I put the letter down and decided to retire to the sofa. Not the most comfortable of beds, but it will do. My eyes are so heavy now, I doubt I would be able to make it back to my home in one piece. I lay down on my back with my hands linked across my chest while I look out of the window. The clouds had rolled in and hidden the shimmery light from the moon. I always found the darkness eerie, but tonight it seemed soothing, though that could just be because I am tired. I woke up hours later to the sound of the bustle from the streets below. I cannot help but groan as I get to my feet, seriously wondering why I did not just go home and sleep in my bed. After a few stretches, and a cracking sound from my back, I make my way out of the office and down the hall to the toilets. Thankfully it is still early, so there are no patrons yet in the library, giving me time to clean myself in the sink. Not the most sophisticated of things, but I have aftershave and such in my office. I always keep a spare pair of clothes there as well, for times that I am working late. Once changed, and feeling somewhat more presentable, I headed out to the pack house. En route, I open the mind link to Laurie to let her know I am on my way. It is only as I am speaking through the link that I realise I had not checked the time before my departure. The sun was just coming up, meaning it was after seven, but then did not necessarily mean Laurie was up. I hesitated for a moment, waiting to see if she would respond. “You got my letter then?” Her sweet voice replied. I breathed a sigh of relief. "I did. Did you perhaps not want me to find it? You could have linked me at any time, you know." I asked her. "I apologise, but I thought being an old fashioned wolf, a letter would be pleasing for you." She chuckled. "Old fashioned?" I snorted, which made her laugh harder. "You know what I mean." She mused. "I do. But I must say, your letter did have me intrigued." I said. "I am glad. I will be waiting for you in the Alpha office." She replied before ending the link. I made my way to the pack house, which had undergone some renovations in the last few years. The gold and red was removed, replaced with beige and silver, although all the oaken features remained. It certainly looked more appealing compared to the harshness it used to bear. The colours made the place feel more welcoming. In fact, the pack house was now open to the public, although the top floor and cellars were off limits, so the Alpha and Luna and Omega servants could preserve some privacy. I waltzed up to the familiar oaken doors and rasped a couple of times on the wood. Laurie summoned me in, so I entered. She was sitting on one of the chairs, cradling her stomach and groaning quietly. The desk had been moved to the side of the room, leaving an open space in the centre for a ring of chairs to be placed. The Luna felt this was less dramatic than a central desk, which I have to agree with. "I am sorry if I disturbed your slumber." I said meekly. She raised her hand and shook her head . "I didn't sleep well. The pup has become active recently, so they keep me up more than anything." She laughed as she gently stoked her stomach. "They? Do you not wish to know the gender?" I asked her, to which she shook her head. "No, Gale and I will love them regardless. And I have always liked surprises." She grinned before gesturing to the seat beside her. "Please, take a seat so we may speak." I did as I was asked and held my hand out to gently rest on her stomach. She was right, the pup was moving quite a bit in there. She simply smiled as I withdrew my hand. "Why did you wish to see me, Luna?" I asked with furrowed brows. Her smile faltered as she sighed, lowering her eyes from my view. "It is nothing really. I picked up a number of human history books recently that have made their way into the pack. I am particularly fond of this one." As she spoke, she reached down the side of the chair and pulled out an embellished book before handing it to me. "Ancient Egypt?" I asked her, taking the book in my hand and flicking through the first few pages. "Yes. Turn to page 394, I find that part more interesting." She said, pointing at the book. I did as was asked and opened the pages to reveal a detailed illustration of a dog-like man. I quickly skimmed the words. It seemed this man was a God in ancient times. Unlike wolves, who only have one Goddess, it seemed these Egyptians had a number of Gods and Goddesses who protected different aspects of their world. This particular man was called 'Anubis'. "Most interesting, Luna, but why the sudden interest in such things?" I asked before looking up from the papers. "I was only curious. But seeing that these humans worshipped a dog-man, it makes me wonder if humans had powers or abilities in their history, like how we can shift into wolves." She explained. I pondered her words for a moment. "So, you would like some more books to learn more about these Ancient Egyptians?" I asked slowly, casually leaning forward in my chair. She gave me a sly smile and shook her head. "No, Quinn. In my current state, Gale will not let me leave the pack. But after reading about these Gods, I just have to know more." She mumbled. I frowned at her, trying to process what she was saying. "What would you like me to do, Laurie?" I finally asked her. 'Go to Egypt for me. Learn everything you can about Anubis and the other Gods. I have to know." She pleaded, "And when my pup is older, I want to visit myself. Perhaps take them and Gale with me." As she spoke, tears pricked at her eyes, so I took her hand in mine and stroked it gently. "Have you spoken with Alpha about this?" I asked quietly. "He has enough to worry about. I know he relies on you a lot but I need your help now, Quinn." She said, grabbing both of my hands and pulling them towards her, tugging me forward as well. "Please could you do this?" Her words cut me deep inside. I looked into her grey eyes, which were shaking with anticipation as she waited for my answer. I had so much work to do, so many reports to read, but in reality, my Luna was giving me an order, whether she meant it as one or not. I let out an aspirated sigh and plastered a smile on my face. "Luna, I would do anything for you. If you want to know about Egypt, I will find out everything I can for you." I said proudly. A smile spread across her lips. "Thank you! I am also interested in the Pharaohs. They seemed to have been the Alphas of their time," She explained, taking the book from my lap and flicking through the pages. "Howard Carter was from England, like us, and he discovered a tomb of a long forgotten Pharaoh in '22. Wouldn't it be amazing if you could be like him?" She asked, her eyes dazzling with ambition. I choked on my words for a moment before lowering the book so I could look at her. "One thing at a time Laurie, I haven't even laid eyes on the place yet." I grinned. I was smiling broadly at her but my heart was pounding in my chest. I had never been abroad before, or even strayed far from the pack. Now she wanted me to travel thousands of miles because she read a book? I forced my smile to remain as I continued to speak to her. "I will make the arrangements. When I am finished with my expedition, it will be like you have visited Egypt as well." I said, beaming while trying to keep the terror from showing in my eyes. "I knew you would be up for it! Thank you, Quinn." She said as she leaned forwards and kissed me on my cheek. She instantly regretted her decision as she crushed her stomach and groaned as she lulled back into the chair. With a wave of her hand, she dismissed me from the office. I gave her a curt bow and skedaddled out of the room as quickly as my legs could carry me. What had I gotten myself in for?